After Opening My Eyes
by Code Breaker
Summary: Follow-up to and set in the same universe as "In Between Breaks", David Aames from "Vanilla Sky" can't get over the feeling of missing his fellow characters of the film and receives a little help from Scottie from "Vertigo".


WARNING: CHARACTERS INVOLVED IN THIS STORY DO NOT BELONG TO ME. THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED TO THE COMPANIES THAT OWN THEM.  
  
  
  
"After Opening My Eyes"  
  
By Code Breaker  
  
David woke up in his hotel room. It had been half an hour for him since he made his choice. But here, there was no time. There was no past and no future. There was only here and now. He got up out of bed, heading downstairs to the bar. There were various people there, some that he recalled seeing on the opposite side of the screen. Of course, that was when there were others watching him. He was glad that his film was now on video and DVD. At least he wouldn't have to worry much about having to prepare for the next showing so quickly like he originally did. However, there was a downfall to being here. He was alone. This place was only for the main characters, not for supporting characters. Sofia may have been a leading lady, but she wasn't the protagonist of the story. He often wondered why didn't the director choose to have him go an alternative route towards the ending, and choose the second option instead of the one he picked.  
  
I guess something like that isn't optional, he thought as he took a seat at the bar.  
  
"I'll take a Jack and Coke." David said to the barkeep.  
  
He looked around, looking at the various leads in the room. There was Mad Max sitting at the end of the bar, next to him being Snake Plisskin. That was bit ironic for David, the fact that one was a law man who took the law into his own hands and the other was a criminal who broke the law every chance he could get. David looked into the mirror, catching his reflection. He thought for a moment that he was wearing his mask again, but he remembered that he didn't have to since his face was okay near the ending of the film. He could see both Clarice Starlings sitting across from one another, talking about their experiences with Dr. Lector in one of the booths behind him. The booth behind the younger one had Alice from "Resident Evil", having to be in what David deemed "summer vacation", which was the break between when the film was out of the theater and scheduled to be release on DVD and VHS. She was sitting by herself, reading a book by Stephen King. The booth next to that one had Jay and Silent Bob, the "wonder idiots" as David labeled them. The barkeeper handed David his drink, where David just stare down into the glass.  
  
"I recomend you drink that, sonny," he heard a voice, "Before the ice melts."  
  
David looked up to find John 'Scottie' Ferguson from the Hitchcock classic "Vertigo". David notice the detail on Scottie wasn't the same as some of the others here. He was a bit brighter.  
  
"You look good, Scottie," David said, "It's a miracle what the film restoration team can do."  
  
"Oh yes," Scottie replied, "I was afraid that I may fade away a bit, but I feel like new."  
  
It had been a few years back that "Vertigo" was restored to its original glory for the audiance to watch, getting what The Master of Suspence had originally intended for the film. David could relate to Scottie, since they both were in a similar situation.  
  
"I notice you're a little bit down, David. Wanna talk about?" Scottie asked.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"I know what it is that you are going through. I been through it myself."  
  
David looked at Scottie for a moment.  
  
"You have?"  
  
"Of course," Scottie said, "Guys like us don't always get what we want. That's the way we were written. That is the downfall for being a lead character in a story that involves plot twists. We go through this rollarcoaster ride over and over again, acting as if it was the first time every time. And on this rollarcoaster, we end up having to fall in love over and over again as well. You miss your girl, don't you?"  
  
David sat silent for what felt like an hour, but was only a few seconds.  
  
"I just don't understand why I was written to have done that. I wouldn't have wanted to hurt Sofia." David said, his voice low, "Sure, I can understand a bit, but I don't understand why the director chose for me to have that ending. And now, I may never get much of a chance to see her or any of the others ever again unless someone rents the film on DVD or tape."  
  
"I know it's hard, but there are a lot of us here who feel the same way. Honestly, the last time I happen to get the chance to see my fellow characters again was when some kid in Madison, Florida decided to rent the film. Love has a way of making us open our eyes, son. But after a while, we tend to close them again."  
  
David sat and thought for a moment. Scottie was right. He did miss Sofia and the others, but like everything else, they couldn't be there because there was a place for everything and everything in it's place. Even though he felt much alone like he did when the film began, he wasn't.  
  
"I know you can get over this, David."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because it was the same thing that happened to CÃ©sar, the guy who was in "Open Your Eyes", which happens to be the film that your movie was based on. He was in the same position as you were."  
  
David looked at Scottie again for a moment.  
  
"Maybe you're right. I think I can do it."  
  
"There's my boy." Scottie said, "How about I buy you a couple more drinks and tell you my troubles?"  
  
"Sure," David said with a nod, "I'll keep both my eyes and my ears open."  
  
THE END 


End file.
